Angus Dei
by streetcarnameddisaster
Summary: When a series of young boys turn up dead by the same MO its up to Manhattan's most elite unit to solve the crime. But when a suspect leads them to an even bigger series of crimes and cover-ups what secrets and scorched earths will be uncovered?
1. Chapter 1

Parks and Rec of Manhattan got an early start on getting debris from last night's storm off of the pathway. It had been one of the worst winter storms the city had seen since Sandy.

"My old lady was riding my ass last night about me getting an office job somewhere sos I'm not always out here bustin' my ass, amd for what, $15 an hour and benefits." Tom O'Brien harped to his trainee, a plucky nineteen year old, Brandon.

"One of these days I'd like to have that desk job." Brandon stated. "I dont wanna be your age getting my ass kicked all damn day."

"Hard work never hurt nobody, kid, and an office job ain't any better than this." The older man stated. "Someone has to do it. This is a trade. The world needs tradesmen. Go down into that culvert and get those branches hauled up. Imma take them home and let 'em dry out, cut 'em up for firewood. Makes the house smell nice."

"Get them yourself, old son of a bitch." Brandon muttered as he slid down the icy embankment. "Can cut your own damn wood too." He grabbed a bushel of downed branches. "Holy shit! Tom! Yo, Tom!"

"Whatchoo got, a dead squirrel or sumthin'?" Tom questioned. "You're never gonna last long in this business if a dead animal..." he went quiet and crossed himself. "Mother of God..."

"What have you got for us, Melinda?" Detective Elliot Stabler called as he slid down the muddy path.

Melinda blew her nose into a tissue. "Other than this cold I can't kick? Descesed male between the ages of eight and ten."

"You have a cause of death for us?" Detective Olivia Benson, his partner called. She caught the heel of her boot on a rock and nearly flung herself down the hill.

Elliot grabbed her and righted her. "You good?"

"Ten years off my life but I'll be alright." Olivia laughed.

They bent over the body.

"There are no visible signs of injury or illness so I won't know until I get him on my table." Melinda said. "I found petichea and offensive wounds on the chest and upper arms."

"Sounds like a drowning, maybe?" Olivia theorized.

"I'll check the lungs for fluid but that was my assumption as well." Melinds agreed.

"Well, you know what they say about assumptions." Elliot remarked. He grinned slyly.

"Look at he's laid out." Olivia said. "Melinda, does he show signs of being moved postmortem?"

"The blood pooling says no. I'd say whoever brought him here arranged him shortly after death and left him. Rigor is set in." Melinda answered.

Elliot made a face. "Any id?"

Melinda shook her head sadly. "No."

The two detectives straightened up and stared down at the body with regret.

"Who did this to you?" Elliot muttered.

"He is a young African American boy between the ages of eight and ten. We urge anyone who might have information to call Special Victims Unit. Your call is confidential." Olivia said to the camera. "Again, please call SVU at the number on your screen. Let's help this young boy's family find closure." She stepped away from the podium.

Elliot joined her as they walked back to the squad room. "Thanks, you k ow I'm no good on camera."

"With that pretty face?" Olivia teased. "Never."

"Melinda called. She has info for us." Elliot said. He held up her coat. "Wanna take a ride?"

"As long as you're driving." Olivia said, sliding into her coat. "Thanks."

Melinda greeted them with a round of loud sneezes and coughing. "Ugh, sorry. One of these days..."

"What have you got for us, Melinda?" Elliot questioned, staring at the young boy's body on the slab.

"Your Anthony Doe died of drowning." Melinda began. "His lungs were full of fluid."

"Any idea where he was killed?" Elliot questioned.

"I tested the water I found in his lungs and it's the cleanest water I've ever seen." Melinda said.

"Water treatment plant, maybe?" Olivia said.

"That's what I thought but there are no trace elements that you would find in treated water. I can tell you this," Melinda said, "the water is found in only one source: the river Jordan."

The two detectives stared at each other in confusion.

"Like, in the country of Jordan?" Olivia questioned.

"Exactly." Melinda said.

"Is he an immigrant?" Olivia asked.

"I thought so but I did a test on his bones and he's never left America." Melinda said. She folded her arms. "He was molested. Long term by the state of his wounds."

Elliot looked away. "This doesn't make sense. Where the hell do you find Jordanian water in Manhattan?"

"How are things at home?" Olivia asked, buckling her belt across herself.

"Kathy moved back to her mom." Elliot answered.

"Again?" Olivia questioned.

"I think it may be permanent this time." Elliot said. "She's been seeing someone."

"Jeez, I'm sorry." Olivia said. "If you need my insanely comfy sofa let me know."

Elliot laughed dryly. "Where would you sleep?"

"I think I have a bedroom." Olivia remarked. "That's that room where all my clothes live. Rumor has it there's a bed in there. I think I'll be alright." She chuckled quietly.

"I just worry about Eli." Elliot admitted. "What's all this fighting done to him?"

"He knows you two love him." Olivia said gently. "Just make sure he knows."

"Yeah." Elliot said quietly.

"Any news on our Anthony Doe?" Captain Cragen inquired.

"He was drowned in Jordanian water." Elliot answered.

"He was murdered in Jordan and brought here for staging?" Cragen questioned.

"No, he's never left the Unites States." Elliot answered.

"Then how?" Cragen questioned.

Elliot shrugged.

"Someone brought the water to New York and drowned the boy? Is it a sacrifice?" Detective Fin Tutuola.

Olivia studied the computer screens and screwed her face up. "El."

"Yep." Elliot answered.

"Take off your jacket and roll up your sleeve." Olivia requested.

"What?" Elliot scoffed.

"Take your jacket off and roll your left sleeve up." Olivia repeated.

Elliot glanced at the guys and made a face. "Oh-kay." He took his blazer off and rolled his shirtsleeve up. "Okay?"

Olivia came and studied his tattoo of the crucifixion of Jesus. "Look at how Anthony Doe is laid out."

The guys looked at Elliot's tattoo and then the screens.

"Hands spread, head turned to the side, legs crossed at the ankle." Olivia said. "He's arranged to look like the crucifixion."

"Jordanian water...crucifixion..." Elliot mumbled.

"Do you think he might be Catholic?" Detective John Munch questioned. "A lot of Catholic churches have their Holy Water brought in from 'Blessed Sources" and the Jordan River is blessed."

"Send his photo out to all the Catholic schools in the area around the dump site, all the churches, maybe the missions." Cragen directed. "Good job, Liv. Elliot, you don't have a map of where Hoffa's buried tattooed anywhere do you?"

Olivia grinned at her partner playfully. "Good job, El."

"Yes, ma'am, we'll look into your neighbors and see where their son went." Elliot said. He hung up and sighed loudly. "Old bat thinks her neighbors son is missing and could be the boy in the park."

"Did you get an address?" Olivia asked.

"I did." Elliot answered.

"Look into it." Olivia urged.

"Uh, then she told me she's going to the Nixon rally." Elliot added. He made a face.

"Moving on." Olivia said softly. Her line rang. "Special Victims Unit." She sat up straightly. "Oh, uh, okay. Can I have a name and an address? Okay, thanks." She hung up. "That was a teacher from St. Barbara's School, a Ms. Halbright, she said she's pretty sure Anthony Doe is a student at her school, Xander Groby."

"Did you get an address?" Elliot asked.

"She said to go to the school, they'd give it to us." Olivia answered.

"Let's go." Elliot said.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm afraid we can't just give out information on students." Sister Gertrude said as sheet away her files.

"Sister, we have a child in our morgue who we're pretty sure went here." Elliot implored. "We need to find his family and let them know."

Sister Gertrude kept her back to them.

Elliot put his hands on the desk and opened them. "'Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.' Proverbs 31:8-9." He came around the counter. "'A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.' Proverbs 11:25."

"'For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.'" Sister Gertrude said quietly. "Psalm 72:12-14." She looked around uncomfortably. "I could be severely disciplined if I give you the file."

"Sister," Elliot said quietly, "if you know something you need to speak up." He gazed at her intently.

Sister Gertrude looked away and took a file out of the cabinet. "I don't know how you got this and we never spoke."

"Thank you, sister." Elliot said softly.

"I never get used to making these calls." Olivia said quietly.

"I know." Elliot agreed, ringing the bell.

A young priest opened the door. "Yes?"

"Is this the Groby residence?" Elliot questioned.

"It is, I'm Father Michael." The young priest answered. "The Grobys' are inside."

"We need to speak to them." Elliot requested.

"Please." Father Michael said, stepping aside.

Elliot and Olivia stepped inside. In the living room were an assortment of relatives and family friends surrounding a man and woman sitting on the sofa clutching a framed photo.

"It's him." Olivia whispered, nodding at the photo.

"Mr and Mrs Groby?" Elliot questioned. He took out the photo of Anthony Doe in the morgue, laying peacefully as though he were sleeping, "is this your son?"

Mrs. Groby took it. "That's my Xander."

"We need for the two of you to come with us." Olivia requested gently.

"Have you found our son?" Mr. Groby questioned hopefully. "Have you found our Alexander?"

"Please." Elliot requested. "Just come with us."

"It's him, isn't it?" Mrs. Groby questioned, clutching her husband's arm. "Our son is dead?"

"We have a body we'd like you to identify." Olivia said. She nodded at Melinda.

Melinda stepped forward and lowered the sheet.

Mrs. Groby screamed heart-wrenchingly.

"It's our son." Mr. Groby said. "It's Xander." He closed his eyes and looked away.

Olivia and Elliot led them out.

"How did our son die? Was it painful? Did he feel pain? Was he scared?" Mr. Groby asked emotionally.

"He drowned." Elliot answered. "But, it looks like it was peaceful. You can usually tell when it wasn't. There's no sign of it being painful. It would have been...quick."

"Who did it?" Mr. Groby asked.

"We don't have a suspect yet." Elliot answered.

"You find him." Mr. Groby said in a low voice. "You find him and you put the fear of God into him, detective."

They saw the Grobys' off and returned to the M.E.

"Melinda, please tell me you found something. Anything." Olivia implored.

"Semen but no match in the system." Melinda answered. She sighed. "You know, I never stop asking myself how someone can do something this awful."

"Did you get anything from Melinda?" Fin questioned.

"Semen but no match in the system." Elliot answered.

"We ran the MO through CODIS, no hit on a perp but we found three other cases where a young boy was drowned and arranged like Xander." Munch informed them. "One from six months ago, and two last year, six months apart. All drowned, all arranged, all drowned with Jordanian water."

Elliot glanced at Olivia. "What are you thinking, kids are getting drowned at a church?"

"None of the kids are connected other than being Catholic." Fin said. He clicked the wireless pointer. "Benjamin Speer, age nine, went to Our Lady of Lourdes School in Red Hook. Found drowned and arranged in the park on Van Brunt and Wolcott Streets." He clicked the mouse. "Gregory Spinelli, age eight, went to St. Simeon's in Prospect Heights, found in the playground on Park Place and Underhill Avenue." He clicked once more. "Anthony Sacrimoni, age ten. Went to St. Catharine's, found in Murphy's Brother's playground on Avenue C. All arranged like Xander, all drowned in Jordanian water, all raped."

"Okay," Elliot said, "we've got four churches, four families, four schools. Fin, you and Munch take the Speers kid and the Sacrimoni kid; Liv and I will take Spinelli and Xander Groby. Talk to teachers, nuns, priests. Find out if there's anything linking these kids to each other, even if it's minor. Catholic Youth Organization, the alter boys society, anything."

"I don't understand why you want to talk about my son, he's been dead for a year." Mrs. Spinelli said quietly. She sat down on the sofa and looked at the photo of her son on the table behind the couch. "Gregie was a sweet boy. He had just become an alter boy. He played baseball for the school..."

"Did he know Xander Groby, Anthony Sacrimoni, or Benjamin Speer?" Elliot asked.

Mrs. Spinelli shook her head. "I've never heard of them."

"Did he ever have anything to do with St. Catharine's, St. Barbara's, or Our Lady of Lourdes Schools?" Elliot asked.

"No. We never left our parish." Mrs. Spinelli answered. She stared at them tearfully. "I'm sorry but I just can't handle this. Please leave. Now."

"Alright, thanks, Fin." Elliot said. He hung up and put his phone in his pocket. "Fin and John just finished talking to the Speers, and they're on their way to the Sacrimoni family. Mr. and Mrs Speers didn't know anything either."

"Well, maybe we'll get something from the Grobys." Olivia remarked.

They got in the car and sat.

"Are we going?" Olivia asked.

Elliot stared out of the window and shook his head as if shaking water out of his ear. "Yeah, uh, sorry, just lost in space for a second." He started the car and drove towards the Bronx. "I keep thinking..."

Olivia glanced at him. "What?"

Elliot shrugged. "Nothing. Just...I keep thinking I remember something from when I was a kid. This case just reminds me of something. But every time I think I remember it goes away."

"I could hypnotize you." Olivia suggested. She laughed quietly and stared out of the window as a light rain started falling. "I can't wait for spring."

Elliot glanced at her, all bundled up in her winter coat. "Yeah, me too."

"We have officially hit a dead end." Elliot stated as they walked out of St. Simeon School. "No way to connect these boys."

"There has to be something we're missing. Something we just haven't seen." Olivia insisted. "This is too big a coincidence to not be connected. Same manner of death, same arrangement at dumping, same water."

Elliot looked around and then up at the limestone statue of St Simeon atop his pillar, clinging for dear life as the platform crumbled. "Help me out here, Simeon, what are we missing."

Olivia looked at the covered walkaway from the cathedral to the school. "Elliot."

Elliot turned to where she pointed. "What the..."

They hurried under the stone cover.

"Father! Father Michael!" Elliot called.

The young priest stopped and turned. "Oh, detectives, did you have more questions?"

"Yeah, uh, so you work at St. Barbara's as well?" Elliot questioned.

"I'm in training. I'm with several schools and churches." Father Michael answered.

"Are St. Catharine's and Our Lady of Lourdes your other schools?" Olivia asked breathlessly.

"Why, yes." Father Michael answered.

"Father, where does your holy water come from?" Olivia asked softly.

"We get water blessed from the River Jordan." Father Michael answered.

"Do all four churches get their water from Jordan?" Elliot questioned.

"Yes." Father Michael answered.

Olivia and Elliot stared at each other and then at the priest.

"Father," Elliot said slowly, "do you know Benjamin Speer, Anthony Sacrimoni, and Gregory Spinelli?"

The priest paled. "Holy mother of mercy, save me." He turned and started running.

"Stop!" Olivia called after him. "Father, stop!"

They took off after him and chased him into a courtyard where the young priest threw himself before a statue of The Blessed Virgin and clung to her marble feet.

"Hail Mary, full of Grace, the lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, protect us sinners now and in our hour of death!" He clung to the statue and wailed loudly.

Elliot and Olivia stopped and stared in confusion.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

"Have you made any headway with the priest?" Cragen questioned.

"He has not stopped praying since we brought him in." Olivia answered. "We've both tried. It's like he's in a trance."

"Elliot, do you think you might go in there and appeal to his Catholic nature?" Cragen suggested.

"What am I, the Catholic Superman?" Elliot questioned. "Why do I always get the religious nuts?"

Cragen gave him a look.

"Look, Cap," Elliot sighed, rubbing his head, "there's just something about this guy. I'm just not comfortable around him. I don't know why it's different than any other piece of shit scum bag we pick up everyday but this guy...something about him just makes me..."

"I get it, but right now we have four boys who deserve justice, so could you find it in yourself to go in there and get him talking?" Cragen urged.

Elliot sighed. "Fine. Fine." He opened the door to the interrogation room and went inside.

"What's up with him?" Cragen asked.

"I'm not sure. He's been acting kind of spacey lately." Olivia answered. "Earlier in the car he was out of it for a second, said he kept remembering things but not really."

"As soon as this case is settled I'm gonna have him do a sit down with Huang and get his head shrunk." Cragen said. "It's about time. You too."

Olivia's mouth dropped. "Cap, I'm fine."

"Never the less," Cragen said firmly but kindly, "I think we all might benefit with a yearly check up." He nodded towards the interrogation room. "Keep an eye on him." He went back to his office.

Elliot knelt next to the priest and lowered his voice. "Father. Father, we really need for you to tell us what happened with you and those boys."

"_The lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, he maketh me to line down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside still waters, he restoreth my soul, he leadeth me through the path of righteousness for his names sake_." The young priest whispered rapidly, his eyes closed, his rosary pressed against his lips.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil," Elliot murmured, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

Father Michael opened his eyes and put his hands over Elliot's and the two men recited the prayer together, "thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies, thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of my Lord forever."

The priest crossed himself and Elliot mimicked him.

"You're a Catholic?" Father Michael whispered.

"Yes." Elliot whispered.

"Then you believe in the divine forgiveness and mercy of our Lord and savior?" Father Michael whispered.

Elliot nodded intently. "I couldn't live without the promise."

"To forgive is divine. To err is human." Father Michael said softly.

"Father," Elliot said gently, "you know the only way to achieve forgiveness and mercy is to confess your sins and repent."

The two men locked eyes and stared intently into each other.

"I hurt those little boys." Father Michael admitted softly. "Those innocent little boys. Those gentle lambs."

"Why, Father?" Elliot whispered.

"I...am...possessed...". Father Michael said painfully. "The devil is within me! I try to cats him out but I cannot! My faith is strong, my belief is true, and yet I cannot cats out this evil, this darkness within me which stains my soul and keeps me from God's love and his promise of an everlasting life amongst him!" He collapsed against Elliot's shoulder and sobbed loudly.

"Tell me what happened, Father." Elliot implored. "Tell me what happened so those boys can receive justice. You want them to receive justice, don't you?"

"Yes." Father Michael cried softly. "I want to atone."

Elliot helped him to his seat and took the one next to him. "Tell me everything." He turned on the record under the table.

"I don't know what's wrong with me." Father Michael whispered achingly. "I looked at those boys who looked at me for God's love and I _hurt_ them, I destroyed them, I made them unclean."

"Did you drown them in Holy Water to cleanse them when you were done with them?" Elliot asked emotionlessly.

"Yes." Father Michael answered tearfully.

"Why did you kill them?" Elliot asked.

"They were unable to remain on this earth in their unclean state." Father Michael answered grievously. "I sent them to God where their souls will be forever white and fair."

"_It was a Mercy killing_." Olivia whispered on her side of the glass. She turned away and closed her eyes. "Jesus Christ."

Elliot stared at his reflection in the mirror on the front of his locker, his eyes dark and dangerous. With an alrighty roar he started hammering the metal of his locker with his fists. He dropped to his knees, tears running down his cheeks.

Quietly, Olivia let herself in and got a paper towel, running it under cold water from the sink. She knelt next to him and took his bloodied hands. "Did that locker try to steal your lunch money again?"

A harsh sob swelled through the other detective and released itself loudly into the dark room. He pressed his head against Olivia's shoulder and cried there as she doctored his hands.

"It's gonna be okay." Olivia whispered. "It's gonna be okay."

"No, it's not." Elliot whimpered. "I don't know what's happening to me."

Olivia wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. "It's all gonna be alright." She rest her head on top of his and lowered herself off her haunches so she sat against the battered lockers. "I don't know how how but I promise it's all gonna be alright, El."

"He's a victim too." Elliot whispered into Olivia's shoulder, her shirt wet with his tears and snot. "It was done to him."

"He's only 20, Elliot, we can still get his rapist too." Olivia promised. "There's no statute of limitations for his attacker to hide behind." She rubbed his back gently, feeling the heat from his sorrow and his anger through the soft material of his dark green shirt. "Did he give you a name?"

"A priest, Father Thomas. He's at St. Ann's up in Annandale-on-Hudson now." Elliot answered. He sat up and looked at his partner bashfully. "Liv, I, uh, I don't know what to say about what all just happened. I'm sorry."

Olivia smiled and shook her head. "It's okay. Who do you think I am? I've always got your back. And you've needed that for a while, I imagine." She handed him the paper towel she'd used to clean his wounds. "You're a little messy."

Elliot sniffled and wiped his face and eyes. "Better?"

"Perfect." Olivia said softly.

They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment before hastily looked away.

"Um, why don't you head home and we can head up to Annadale in the morning." Olivia suggested.

"What would I go home to?" Elliot questioned. "There's nothing there. No one. Just another empty room in an empty house by myself."

"You wanna crash on my sofa?" Olivia offered.

"You wanna get a drink or something?" Elliot suggested. "Wanna go to Maloney's?"

"Sure." Olivia answered.

They helped each other up.

"I'm gonna go change my shirt, I'll meet you in the squad room." Olivia said.

"I've been having these...thoughts." Elliot admitted, putting down the mug from his third beer.

Olivia sipped her vodka soda carefully. "What thoughts?"

Elliot looked away. "I don't know, but there are these flashes, they scare the hell out of me."

Olivia screwed up her face. "What does it have to do with the case?"

Elliot exhaled irritably. "I don't know. I don't know."

"Have you been sleeping?" Olivia asked gently.

"No." Elliot scoffed. "Are you?"

Olivia cocked her eyebrows. "Well, no."

Elliot motioned for the bartender to bring him another round. "You good?"

"El, you might wanna slow down." Olivia suggested.

Elliot help up his hand. "Uh-uh-uh, no, I'm good."

Olivia put her drink down. "El."

"Liv." Elliot retorted. He stared at her for a second. "I need my friend, not a mommy. Either let me do my thing or go home."

Olivia stared at him silently. Elliot took his drink from the waitress and downed half of it. Olivia reached over and tried to take it. Elliot smacked her hand away.

"I'm fine!"

"No, you're not." Olivia stated. "El, I think you need to ask Cragen to take you off this case. Maybe take a leave of absence."

"I don't need a leave of absence!" Elliot exclaimed. "Why don't you just go, Liv."

Olivia threw a couple twenties on the table. "Call me when you're done drinking. Don't try to get yourself home if you're drunk."

Elliot waved her away.

Two-thirty Am.

Olivia stepped inside of the empty bar. The bartender looked up from where he was wiping down the mahogany.

"Hey, you here for him?"

Olivia looked at her partner, slumped over the table she'd left him at. "Yeah, he's mine." She went to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "El."

Elliot grunted but didn't move.

"Come on, Elliot." Olivia muttered, sliding her arms under his pits. "Up we go."

Elliot's head lolled around. "Oh, he-e-ey, Liv-ya."

"Whoo," Olivia muttered, "your breathe is 200 proof."

"Is Liv..." Elliot slurred. "Liv, you-you-you're my famorit. My flavorite. My flambé."

"Favorite?" Olivia helped.

"S'it." Elliot said. He wrapped his arms around her and cuddled up against her. "You smell like sunshine." He stuck his face in her hair and let one hand get tangled in her brown locks.

"Okay." Olivia said firmly. "You need water and sleep." She hoisted him outside to the pavement. "I need for you to wait here for a second, okay? Just lean here and I'll be right back." She leaned him against the wall and hurried to where she had parked the car, pulling up in front of the bar in time for Elliot to get sick all over himself. "Oh, Jesus."

Elliot looked up at her in boyish surprise. "Uh-oh. I got a lil, a lil sick, Liv-ya."

Olivia made a face and opened the trunk. "Hold on." She took out a gallon jug of water. "I'd rather you be soaking wet than covered in vomit." She opened the jug and poured the water over Elliot's clothes and shoes.

"S'raining." Elliot mumbled, his head lolling against the wall behind him.

Olivia took the emergency blanket she kept in the trunk and spread it over the passenger seat. "Get in."

"I'll drive." Elliot slurred.

"Uh, no." Olivia said firmly. "You may never be able to drive again." She dumped him in the seat and drove them to her apartment.

"_Mama, mama, can't you see, what this Marine Corps done to me_!" Elliot belted as Olivia staggered him down the hall to her door. "_I used to drive a Cadillac, now I hump it on my back_!"

"El, shh!" Olivia hissed. "I have neighbors."

"_I used to date a beauty queen, now I carry an M-16_!" Elliot bellowed. He snorted and started laughing. "_Mama, mama, can't you see, what this Special Victims Unit's done to me_!"

"What the hell, can you shut him up?!" One of the neighbor's yelled from their doorway.

"If only." Olivia muttered. She got the door open and shoved Elliot inside. "Go. Couch. Quietly. Please."

Elliot staggered to the couch and flopped down on his belly, half over the arm, and half on the floor. With a loud snore he was asleep.

Olivia surveyed him, stinking up her sofa with his wet, vomity clothes. "Ugh, I'll just clean it later." She threw a blanket over him, put a bottle of water and a bottle of Aspirin on the coffee table and put a trashcan in front of his face. "Sleep tight, El."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

"Thanks for washing my suit." Elliot said, the first words spoken on the drive up the Hudson River.

"Well, it smelled." Olivia remarked, glancing over her shoulder as she changed lanes.

"Did I do anything particularly embarrassing last night?" Elliot asked.

"No." Olivia lied. "You were sort of out of it."

"So I didn't sing running cadences?" Elliot asked.

"No." Olivia lied. "No, you were just very, very out of it."

"Well, thanks for letting me crash at your place." Elliot said. "And thanks for coming to get me."

"That's what I'm here for." Olivia remarked. She sniffled quietly. "Ugh, you still smell."

"I took a thirty minute shower and used an entire bottle of your soap." Elliot insisted.

"It's in your pores. You might need to go for a run or something. Sweat it out." Olivia suggested.

"There are funner ways to sweat." Elliot remarked.

"And none of them are applicable here." Olivia stated.

"You used to joke." Elliot said.

"I used to do a lot of things but I don't anymore." Olivia insisted.

Elliot glanced at her. "Did I do something to upset you last night?"

"I just don't like seeing you like that and knowing I can't help." Olivia said. "I don't know what you're thinking. You can't tell me and I can't help you."

"I'm sorry." Elliot said. "I wish I could remember what it is my brain obviously wants me to remember." He turned the AC up.

"El, it's thirty degrees outside." Olivia said.

"I'm trying not to sweat." Elliot said.

Olivia made a face and cracked the windows.

They found an old gardener feeding some ducks in the courtyard on the river.

"Excuse me." Olivia greeted. She flashed her badge and a smile. "Is there a priest, Father Thomas, here?"

"Oh, d'ya mean Bishop Thomas?" The old gardener responded in a soft, lilting Irish accent. "He'd be at his prayers now. Just in the little cottage up the hill. Just there." He grinned and went back to his ducks.

Olivia smiled laughingly at Elliot. "He's adorable."

"Reminds me of the gardener at the church I went to as a kid, Mr. Mulligan. He was from Mullingar." Elliot remarked as they walked up the hill. "It's beautiful here. Wish it were closer. I'd go to Mass here."

The steeple bell in the tall cathedral tolled the time as they made their way up the freshly salted brick pathway. Elliot knocked on the front door. A young novice answered.

"Hi, we're detectives from Manhattan, is Bishop Thomas in?" Elliot inquired.

"I'm Sister Claire." The young novice greeted. "The bishop is almost done with his prayers. Ten minutes. If you go down the hill to that little building there with the birdhouses in front of it the sisters will be happy to give you some hot drinks and snacks."

"Thanks." Elliot said.

"I'll have the Bishop come see you when he's done." Sister Claire promised.

The two detectives made their way down the hill to a little stone building in front of which were several charming birdhouses in various sizes and heights.

"Hey, look at this one, it's the Empire State Building." Elliot marveled.

"A very tiny White House." Olivia chuckled.

"Delightful, aren't they." An older nun greeted, a blue goose down parka over her robes. "They're made by local artists and donated. We just love birds here. We planted the bird houses so that we'd wake one morning to the sound of their sweet song and know Spring had come back." She smiled sweetly. "I'm Sister Bridget."

"Detective Benson, may partner Detective Stabler." Olivia said. "We're from Manhattan, just waiting on the Bishop."

"Oh, he's always at prayer this time of the day. He'll be done soon." Sister Bridget remarked. "Come inside and have something warm."

She led them inside where three nuns were doing various hobbies. Each greeted them with a warm smile. Sister Bridget seated them by the fire and a young postulant brought out hot coffee and cakes.

"Try the lemon bars, they're divine." Sister Bridget insisted. "If you'll excuse me." She and the others rose at the sound of a clock and filed outside to go to their own prayers.

"Nice nuns, far cry from the ones of my childhood." Elliot remarked. He took a bite of a lemon bar. "Oh, my God."

Olivia grinned and grabbed one. "I feel spoiled."

"Try the coffee, I swear that's better than Java Jakes." Elliot remarked.

"It's so peaceful here." Olivia remarked, looking out of the front windows that overlooked the Hudson. "This is the perfect place for nuns. It's like a Shangri-la."

The door opened and a very tall, old man in cleric's clothing ducked under the doorframe. "I'm Bishop Thomas. They said you were waiting."

Elliot stared at him questioningly. "Have we met?"

"I'm afraid I've met many people in my travels, Detective." Bishop Thomas said regretfully. "However, it's nice knowing you now." He sat down and helped himself to a piece of soda bread and some coffee. "I'm glad to see the sisters have taken such care of you."

"They're great." Olivia said with a smile.

"Bishop, we hate the reason we're here but we have to ask you some pretty disturbing questions." Elliot began. "Do you know a young priest, Michael?"

"He's the young man training down in the city." Bishop Thomas said.

"Yes." Elliot said. "Bishop, he's been arrested for the molestation and murder of four young boys in his various parishes."

Bishop Thomas crossed himself. "Mary, mother of God."

"Bishop, when we questioned him he said that, well, he said that when he was a child you were inappropriate with him." Elliot said delicately.

Bishop Thomas stared at him silently.

"Bishop, we need for you to come to the city with us and help us clear this up." Elliot said.

Bishop Thomas wiped his hands slowly on his pants. "I'm afraid I can't help you." He rose. Almost like a twitch he reached up with his left hand and tugged his right ear gently. "I must ask you to leave."

Elliot stared at him in alarm. "Bishop, are you sure we've never met?"

Bishop Thomas glanced at him with steely eyes. "I think I would remember."

"Bishop, it would be a huge help." Olivia insisted. "Unless you have something to hide?"

"You two should leave. Now." Bishop Thomas said sternly. "And do not come back here without a warrant." He strode through the house and out the back door.

Olivia glanced at Elliot. "Not exactly promising."

Elliot slowly reached with his left hand and touched his right earlobe. "Yeah, yeah, uh, let's call Novak and get a warrant. In the mean time, let's do some snooping, try and talk to some of the parishioners."

They left the house and started back for the car.

Elliot stopped and turned back, feeling as though they were being watched. At the top of the hill in front of the cottage the old Bishop stood staring down at them.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

"How many doors can get slammed in our face before someone talks to us?" Olivia questioned.

"I need a break. Come on, there's a diner up there, let's get some lunch." Elliot said. He parked on the curb and they went inside.

"I'm Gail," their waitress greeted, "what can I get for you?"

"Coffee for both of us, Liv, you want a water back?" Elliot questioned.

"Yeah, thanks." Olivia said. She grabbed her menu. "I'm starving."

"I've always wanted to try a Monte Cristo." Elliot remarked.

"So get one." Olivia said.

"Yeah, what if I don't like it." Elliot remarked.

"Order something else." Olivia stated.

"Yeah, but I don't wanna seem piggy." Elliot remarked.

"I'm getting tuna and chicken noodle soup, if you don't like it we can share." Olivia assured him.

Gail returned their their coffee and took their orders. "I hear you two are asking questions about Bishop Thomas."

"Do you know something?" Elliot asked quietly.

Gail looked around nervously. "Not here."

"When?" Olivia asked.

"I'm off at three." Gail said. She hurried off.

"Then where?" Olivia muttered.

Ten minutes later the waitress returned with their orders. She winked broadly at Elliot. "You are. sweetheart. I left you something under that napkin." She hurried off.

Elliot glanced at Olivia and lifted the napkin. "It's an address and a time."

"She's good." Olivia remarked. She eyed the pie that was under the napkin. "Looks like sweet potato."

Elliot stared at her bemusedly and slid the pie across the table.

"Gail?" Elliot called. "It's Detective Stabler and Detective Benson?"

"What if she doesn't show?" Olivia remarked.

"Then we get a warrant for her too." Elliot stated.

They heard footsteps. Gail stepped out from behind a row of bushes. "I'm sorry I'm late. Traffic."

"We're all ears, Gail, talk to us." Olivia requested.

They got into the squad car where it was warm.

"Bishop Thomas moved up here about six years ago from the city." Gail began. "And about a month or so after, some things started happening. Families that had been with the parish for years were suddenly moving away. Rumors of the church doing payouts before these moves. I'm friends with the insurance agency that takes care of the church. I'm also friends with a nurse at the local hospital, and a local police officer. Back when the bishop was still Father Thomas there were rumors about some bad stuff with some young boys."

Elliot and Olivia exchanged a look.

"Do you know if anything's happened recently?" Elliot asked. He looked away and was briefly lost. Olivia nudged him. "Or if anyone is still in town?"

"Talk to the Flannery family. They live out on Apsinall Road." Gail said.

The bike came to a stop a centimeter from the toe of Elliot's shoe. The boy on the bike stared up at them. "Hi."

"Hey." Elliot greeted. "What's your name?"

"Tony." The boy answered. "Tony Flannery."

"Tony, are your parents home?" Olivia asked sweetly.

"Inside." Tony answered. "Mom!"

A middle aged woman with blonde hair pulled back in a clip wearing a floral apron came onto the porch wiping her hands on a dishrag. "Can I help?"

Elliot and Olivia came up and showed their credentials.

"We're from the city investigating an abuse allegation against Bishop Thomas Geary, over at St. Agatha's. We were told you might have some information." Elliot greeted.

Mrs. Flannery looked around sorrowfully. "It certainly took long enough. Come inside." She led them inside the warm house that smelled of cinnamon and apples. "I just took a pie out, would you like some?"

"Thanks." Olivia said. "What do you know about Bishop Flannery?"

A pre-teen boy on the sofa stared at them in alarm and hurried out of the room.

Mrs. Flannery stared after him regretfully. "I'm sorry. That's my oldest boy, Josh. Come sit." She fixed them some coffee. "A few years ago Josh started wetting the bed. His doctor said it was normal for young boys to sometimes regress to bed wetting when they start growing. So we let it go. But it kept happening. And the nightmares and night terrors. We took him to a child psychologist who couldn't figure out what was causing it. Josh wouldn't open up. Then we started seeing blood on his sheets. We took him to a specialist in Poughkeepsie. Josh had anal fissures and anal tearing. Finally Josh opened up. That _priest_ had been," she looked away and hissed out the word in disgust, "_raping_ him."

"We think he's hurt a lot of boys." Olivia remarked.

Mrs. Flannery stared at them. "Can you get him?"

"We're gonna try." Elliot promised. "Is Josh strong enough to talk to us?"

"I," they heard from the doorway. Josh Flannery peeked around the corner. "I want to...speak."

His mother held out her hand. "Come here, baby."

Josh shuffled in. "Everyday for a month. I was an alter boy. I stayed after school to help with his prayers. Some church stuff. He was the basketball coach. He'd force me to go with him."

"Where did he do it?" Olivia asked gently.

"His cottage." Josh answered. "In his bed."

Mrs. Flannery pressed her fist against her lips and looked away. "I'm so sorry I didn't know sooner."

"It's not your fault, ma." Josh said affectionately. "I didn't know how to say anything. I didn't know what he was doing, just that it hurt and it was wrong. I was scared. He threatened me."

"How?" Elliot asked.

"He said I'd go to hell if I said no to him." Josh answered. "He said he was being told by God to do it and to deny him would be denying God. And that you go to hell if you deny God."

Elliot stared at him blankly, his mouth agape slightly. Olivia put her hand on his leg.

"El?"

Elliot shook his head. "I'm sorry. I need some air." He went outside and gripped the porch railing.

"Are you okay?"

He turned. "Tony. Yeah, thanks, buddy, I'm okay."

Tony leaned against the porch. "Why are you here?"

"We're talking to your brother about Bisho Thomas." Elliot answered.

Tony looked away. "I don't like him."

Elliot came down the porch and knelt before the boy. "Has he hurt you?"

Tony's eyes filled with tears. "He touched me."

"Where did he touch you?" Elliot asked.

Tony looked at him with wide eyes. "My privates. My butt."

Elliot gave him a gentle hug. "We're gonna make him pay for what he did to you."

"You okay?" Olivia asked as Elliot changed into a clean t-shirt.

"No." Elliot answered quietly. He lay down on his bed furthest from the AC unit and turned his back. "No, I'm not."

Olivia perched on the edge of her own bed, slowly rubbing night cream into her elbows. She rose and sat on the edge of his bed. "You can talk to me."

"I know." Elliot said in a thick voice. "But I can't right now."

Olivia reached out to touch him but her hand fell away short of him. "Well, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

"I know." Elliot said quietly. He stared at the wall, watching her shadow as she moved back across the room. "I know."

The drive back to the city was quiet for several dozen miles.

"Do you feel like making a detour with me?" Elliot asked finally.

"Um, sure, where?" Olivia asked.

"New Jersey." Elliot answered. He changed lanes and took them across the Mid-Hudson Bridge.

Olivia dozed off somewhere around Woodbury, NY and woke as they were crossing the New York/New Jersey state line at Upper Saddle River. "I need a restroom."

"There's a diner a few miles up the road. We can get a bite." Elliot said. He pulled in and parked near the door. "We need to get gas."

"I'm all stiff." Olivia complained. "I need to drive for a while."

"Fine." Elliot said gruffly, his mind elsewhere.

Olivia relieved herself and splashed some cold water on her face. Elliot had coffee waiting when she came out. "Are we going to Long Beach Island?"

Elliot nodded. "How did you know?"

"You've mentioned it before." Olivia said off-handedly.

"I don't remember." Elliot said.

"Maybe I saw it in your file? Can't remember." Olivia lied.

"There are somethings you don't know." Elliot said. "We're going to see my mother."

"Bernadette." Olivia said.

"Yeah, uh, she's not your typical old lady." Elliot warned. "She's a little flighty."

"I'm alright with flighty." Olivia remarked with a smile. "The world needs a little flighty." She grinned and looked away. "And maybe a few more cowboys."

Elliot grabbed her hand. "Thanks for coming with me."

"I don't know what we're doing but God knows I'd never let you have an adventure alone." Olivia laughed. "Isn't that what I'm here for?"

Elliot held her eyes. "Seriously. I can't do this alone. I need you with me."

Olivia nodded slowly. "_I know._" She smiled softly and took a sip of her coffee. "I know."

"It's that house there, with the rainbow on the fence." Elliot said. He took his sunglasses off. "She's home."

Olivia pulled in behind the old Jeep. She turned to her partner. "Are you good?"

"Yeah." Elliot said. He took a steadying breath. "Come on, come meet the woman responsible for this." He motioned to himself. "This hot mess."

Olivia grabbed his hand. "You're not a mess. Something is making you unhappy but you're not a mess. You're one of the stablest people I know."

Elliot gave her a worried look. "You need a wider pool of people, Liv."

They got out and walked up the front path.

Elliot rang the bell. "Just remember, she's unique."

The interior door opened. Bernadette Stabler greeted them in a white smock covered with paint. She grinned delightedly. "Elliot!" She wrenched the storm door open. "Elliot. Elliot, you give me a hug."

"Hi, mama." Elliot greeted, giving her a gentle hug. "Ma, this is Olivia Benson, my partner on the force."

Olivia met Bernie's eyes and smiled teasingly. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Bernie said with a wink. "Come in, come in, come in. I'll make some tea. Oh, hot chocolate! With cinnamon sticks like when you were a little boy. And whipped cream! You used to love to spray it in your mouth and call yourself Santa Clause!"

Elliot glanced back at Olivia who smiled back encouragingly. "Uh, thanks, ma."

"So, you must be here on some official police business." Bernie remarked, getting a kettle out. "What can I do for you? How's Kathy and the kids?"

"Uh, Kathy's good. She's dating someone else. Living at her mom's house with Eli. The twins just started college. Dickie's at Queens Community, Lizzie's at Amherst." Elliot answered. He pulled a chair for Olivia. "Kathleen's got a job at a counselor's office. She's helping troubled teens. And Maureen is still teaching at St. Marjory's."

"Oh, that's fantastic." Bernie remarked. "Oh, I've got cookies!" She put a plate of Christmas cookies on the table. "They go great with cocoa." She busied herself at the stove until Elliot took her and sat her down.

"Mama, I have some questions." He cleared his throat. "Did we ever have a priest, Father Thomas Geary?"

"Hmm, maybe." Bernie mused. "But we had a lot of priests."

"Think for me, he's really tall." Elliot urged.

Bernie made a face. "I don't remember specifically. I wasn't exactly in my right mind then if you recall." She winked at Olivia.

Elliot sighed raggedly. "Do you have any old albums of me when I was a kid, maybe at church or something?"

"Emm, up in the attic in boxes." Bernie said. "I don't usually go up there."

"I need to have a look." Elliot said. He got up and went upstairs.

Bernie turned to Olivia. "Did you get that book of recipes I sent you?"

"I made the lemon chicken the other day." Olivia answered with a smile. "I burned it a little but it was still good."

"Try the mashed potato recipe sometime." Bernie urged.

They heard a crash from upstairs and Olivia hopped up.

"I better help him."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

"Elliot, what are we looking for?" Olivia asked, slumped against the wall of the attic, albums spread around her.

"I'll know it when I see it." Elliot said. "It's a photo of me and my brothers with a priest."

"Oh, this one?" Olivia questioned, handing him a photo.

"Oh." Elliot said. He stared at it for a long while, quietly. "Okay." He started cleaning up. "We need to go."

Olivia helped him clean and they trooped downstairs. Bernie was asleep in a chair by the fireplace. Elliot bent over her and kissed her cheek.

"Mama."

Bernie stirred and opened her soft blue eyes, so much like her son's. "Oh, are you going now?"

"There's something I need to do." Elliot said. "Why don't you go get in bed?"

Bernie stretched and smiled. "Oh, I'm okay. I'll probably go paint for a while. I don't sleep well."

"Thanks for keeping everything, mama." Elliot said gratefully. "I love you."

"Oh, well, Elliot, I love you too." Bernie said as though it were the greatest honor.

Elliot knelt before her. "Mama, did something happen to me when I was a kid?"

Bernie stared into his eyes. "I can't remember." Her voice was tiny and childlike.

Elliot nodded. "I understand." He kissed her hands. "I'll call this weekend."

Bernie rose. "Oh, well, um, I can't wait, I hope you call." She stood behind them like a sorrowful little child, wringing her hands.

Olivia gave her a tight hug. "I'll make sure he calls," she whispered.

"Thank goodness for you." Bernie murmured. She kissed her on the cheek. "Take care of him."

"I will." Olivia promised.

Elliot bent over a photo on the table under the front window. "Liv." He held it up. "Maybe God remembered how cute I was as a carrot?"

Olivia blushed. "See ya later, Mrs. S."

Elliot followed her to the car. "You've met her, haven't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Olivia said breezily. She got in the car and started the heater.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?" Olivia offered. "It's a long, long way to Queens this late."

"I need to be alone." Elliot declined. "I need to think. But I'm pretty close to the answer."

Olivia peered at him. "Are you gonna clue me in?"

Elliot gave her a tight hug. "Thanks for everything."

"What are you doing now?" Olivia asked.

"I have some people I need to see tomorrow." Elliot said.

"Do you want me to go?" Olivia asked.

Elliot thought for a moment. "You know what, yeah, you've come this far. I'll come get you around eight."

"What are you gonna tell Cragen?" Olivia asked.

"I emailed him, told him I was onto a lead with the priest. He's ok-ed you going with me." Elliot said.

"Okay." Olivia said. She studied him. "Elliot, did something happen when you were a kid?"

Elliot stared into her eyes. "I can't just yet. I need to know, I have questions..." he looked down at the floor and sighed, "I just can't right now." He looked up and met her eyes, that had never left his face. "But I will tell you everything. I promise." He hesitated for a moment before kissing her on the forehead.

Olivia closed her eyes and stepped back. "I'm sorry."

"See you tomorrow." Elliot said quietly. He turned and made his way back down the hall to the elevator.

Olivia stared at the empty hallway and touched the spot on her forehead that felt several degrees hotter than the rest of her face, still wet with his mark on her skin. She let herself inside.

"Where are we going today?" Olivia asked, buckling her seatbelt.

"Queens" Elliot answered, handing her a hot tea with honey. "Figured you could use a break from coffee." He handed her a cronut.

"What's in Queens?" Olivia asked thickly, around a bite of her donut. "Em! S'got strawberries inside it." She grinned like a child, her teeth stained with red goo and black seeds.

Elliot smiled handed her a napkin. "That's worth a few likes on social media." He turned the heat up. "My brothers both live in Queens."

"I've known you for thirteen years and I have never met any of your siblings." Olivia remarked. "Meanwhile you've met and arrested my brother a couple times."

"We're not close." Elliot admitted. "The hot house we grew up in as kids didn't help cement adult relationships. I haven't spoken to my sisters in about two and three years."

Olivia glanced at him. "If I had sisters I'd always talk to them."

Elliot reached over and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry."

"I guess I can't miss what I never had." Olivia remarked quietly.

His hand stayed on her's for the until they reached the Queensboro Bridge.

Around one they pulled up at the curb of a little blue house.

"Is this it?" Olivia asked.

"Yep." Elliot said. He watched the middle aged man in the front yard trimming his driveway edges and had yet to notice them. "That's Andrew."

"Andrew." Olivia said quietly.

Elliot cut the engine and they got out. Olivia followed behind him.

"Andrew!" Elliot called over the noise of the trimmer.

The man stopped and turned off his machine. "Elliot?" He stared in shock. "Holy shit. Well, it's been a while."

"I know." Elliot said. He motioned to Olivia. "This is Olivia, my partner on the force."

"It's nice to meet you, Olivia." Andrew said, holding out one gloved hand. "He give you a hard time?"

"Only always." Olivia laughed.

"Well, guess I should let you guys inside. Colder than a witch's tit in a steel bra out here." Andrew remarked. He nodded towards the house and they followed.

"Andrew, do you have Christopher's number?" Elliot asked.

"Why?" Andrew asked.

"I need to talk to both of you." Elliot said. "It's important. It could help this case we're working."

"Oh, you need something." Andrew said mockingly. "Why is it we only hear from each other when we need something? Nina and Louise don't ever call, at least they made a choice and they don't change their mind when they need something."

Olivia looked at Elliot questioningly.

"Our sisters." Elliot explained quickly. "Look, I came to you because literally no one else can help. It has to be you and Christopher. Now, we both know I could have brought you in for questioning as a person of interest, I could have brought a warrant. But you're my brother and that's not how I roll. Now, please, will you call him?"

Andrew stared emotionlessly at his brother for a moment. "Fine." He picked up the house phone and dialed out.

Elliot went to the mantle and smiled briefly at a photo. "Liv." He waved her forward. "Take a look."

Olivia peered at the photo. "Oh, wow."

"That's me." Elliot said, touching one of the faces in the sepia toned photo.

"Wow, Dickie and Kathleen are your spitting image." Olivia marveled. "You were so cute." She smiled at him. "Little Baby El."

Elliot gave her a playful nudge. "Be nice. I'll probably never get to make fun of your baby pics."

Andrew hung up. "After he stopped laughing and realized I was serious that you're here he said five minutes."

"He lives local?" Elliot asked.

"Moved up here a year ago with Jeannie when they retired." Andrew said.

"What do you do?" Olivia asked.

"I build houses in the summer and spring. Winter and fall I do interior work." Andrew answered.

"And Christopher?" Olivia asked.

"Firefighter." Elliot answered. "He get injured, it's a little early to be retiring. He's only fifty-five."

"Broke his leg. City let him take his pension early." Andrew said. He sat down.

Olivia glanced at Elliot and then his brother and slowly sat down on the floral upholstered sofa. "So, are you married?"

"Divorced." Andrew answered.

"That's something we have in comment." Elliot remarked. He sat down next to Olivia.

"You and Kat?" Andrew questioned.

"Been separated a few months now." Elliot answered. "Second time."

"Too bad." Andrew remarked. He looked between them. "Are you two...?"

"No." Elliot said quickly, glancing at his partner. "She's my partner, my squad partner, she's a cop. That kind of partner."

"That's a no." Olivia said softly. She smiled uncomfortably.

Outside they heard breaks and a door slam.

"That sounds like Christopher." Andrew said. "He has to slam the door of that old ass truck of his or it won't shut and it runs the battery." He went to the front door and opened it. "Hey, Christopher."

"Christ, Elliot, you and your brothers look more alike than that one chick's kids, the actress with all the awards." Olivia remarked.

"The Stabler genes run strong, ma'am." Christopher Stabler greeted. He held out his hand. "Christopher Stabler."

"Olivia Benson." Olivia said, shaking his hand.

"You work with that asshole?" Christopher inquired.

"For thirteen years." Olivia answered with a hint of pride.

The two Stabler brothers exchanged a look.

"Ever tried to, ya know," Andrew mimicked shooting someone, "just off his oversized ass?"

Olivia glanced at Elliot and between them a shared memory of all the times they both nearly, unintentionally, almost killed each other.

"No, never." they said together.

"So, Elly, what can we do for you?" Christopher asked, folding his tall frame into a hunter green arm chair.

Elliot looked at Olivia. "Can you give the rundown?"

Olivia leaned forward. "We have this priest, Father Michael, he murdered and molested several little boys. When we arrested him it was pretty obvious he was a victim as well. He led us to this old priest, now a Bishop in Annandale-on-Hudson, where we have several young boys who he's, allegedly, hurt over the years. Right now, including the young priest, we have this old priest on about ten or eleven different attacks. And the church is protecting him."

The two brother glanced at each other.

"What do you need from us, darlin'?" Christopher inquired.

Elliot leaned forward. "Do you guys remember if we ever had a priest, Thomas Geary, very tall, dark hair?"

The two brothers leaned back in their seats.

"The hell you wanna know about that piece of shit for?" Andrew questioned angrily.

"He's the older priest." Elliot said.

"Don't even act like you don't remember him, Elliot." Christopher spat.

"It's typical," Andrew said in annoyance, "comes to us when he can't do his own job properly."

"What are you guys talking about?" Elliot asked.

Christopher and Andrew stared at him in surprise and anger.

"How can you not remember?!" Christopher thundered.

Olivia sat unmoved, looking between the three.

"I like her," Christopher said out of nowhere, "she's in the middle of a most dangerous game, the Brothers Stabler. And she didn't even blink!"

Olivia smiled softly. "I've handled worse."

"Worse than him?" Andrew chuckled.

"Three years ago I went undercover in Sealview Prison as an inmate and I was almost raped by a guard in a basement." Olivia stated. "He had a gun, a billyclub, and cuffs, and the only keys between me and a cage door. I was once stalked by a psychopath who killed people to get my attention, I was framed for murder by a perp I put away and almost died, I've been beat up, cussed at, held against my will, battered and bloodied, more time s than I can count." She glanced at Elliot. "Yeah, I've handled worse."

Andrew and Christopher looked at each other, impressed.

"Elliot," Andrew said imploringly, "how can you not remember?"

"Please," Elliot whispered, "tell me."

"Did Bishop Thomas hurt you two?" Olivia asked softly.

"He hurt us all." Christopher said emotionally. "First it was me, then it was Andrew...", he looked sadly at Elliot, "and then you."

Elliot heard a buzzing in his ears and felt like he was floating. He could hear his partner and his brothers talking but couldn't make out what was being said.

"Elliot?" Olivia questioned in surprise as the man bolted up and thundered through the front door. "Elliot?!" She looked back at the brothers. "Did Bishop Thomas go all the way with you three?"

"He went all the way and then some with at least six of our classmates." Andrew answered. "Elliot was a small kid. He got it a little worse because he tried to fight back. Mom and dad couldn't do much. They took him to this kiddie shrink who gave us all some pills. After a while the memories started fading. For a long time I wasn't even sure it had actually happened because everyone kept saying it hadn't. Christopher and I started having these flashes of memories in our teens. Elliot, bless, him, he couldn't remember. It would have killed him."

Olivia looked at her lap, tears forming in her eyes. "Oh, Christ."

Andrew handed her a tissue. "Make matters worse, mom went off on an episode around the time we all got hurt. There was just so much going on. And our dad..." he looked away.

Christopher stood and pulled the back of his shirt up where faint white scars were painted up and down his back with the promise of more on skin yet undercover. "Dad beat the shit out of us for it."

"You were just kids." Olivia breathed tearfully. "You were just kids and you had been abused, how could he do that to you?"

"Because I'm pretty sure it happened to him too," Andrew said quietly, "and he didn't know how to handle it or help us, because no one had helped him."

Olivia stared at them with large eyes, shaking slightly. "I have to go. I need to go help him." She rose. "Thanks for talking to us." She took out her card and one of George Huang's. "Call if you guys need anything from me, and this is our friend George Huang's number."

"Special Agent Huang, the FBI psychologist?" Christopher chuckled quietly.

"We're not as disconnected as you might think." Andrew remarked. "Elliot makes like none of the Stablers ever speak. He's the one who threw up most of those walls."

Olivia gave them both a hug, marveling to herself just how similar they felt to their brother. "Oh, call your mother some time, I think she's lonely."

"Oh, you've met Bernie!" Christopher said cheerfully. "How's she doing these days?"

"Unmedicated, happy." Olivia answered.

The two brothers glanced at each other. "Bet she likes her."

"Oh, without a doubt." Andrew agreed.

"I've gotta go." Olivia said. "Thanks for everything." She hurried out after Elliot. He was nowhere to be found. "Elliot?!" She looked up and down the sidewalk but saw no one.

"Everything okay?" Christopher called from the front porch.

"He's gone!" Olivia called. "Our cruiser is still here."

The two brothers bound down the front steps.

"He took my truck!" Christopher exclaimed.

"You still leave the keys in your truck?" Andrew questioned, giving him a thump on the head.

"Who the hell would steal it? It's twenty years old." Christopher remarked.

"Is there anywhere he would have gone?" Olivia asked. She looked around. "Did you guys grow up near here?"

"226-99 Garland Drive, up by Oakland Lake." Andrew answered. "You drive, I'll give you directions." He got in the passenger side and his brother got in back.

Olivia got in and turned on her lights. "I shouldn't use my lights but we have to find him. He's more important than the law." She peeled out.

"Do you love him?" Christopher asked quietly.

"Make a left." Andrew said. He grabbed the handle above the door. "You guys always keep your cruiser this messy?"

Olivia blazed down the highway towards the river, past parks and stone houses, keeping her eyes peeled. "He's on foot, he can't have beat us."

"He knows a shortcut." Andrew remarked. "You grow up here you learn the ins and outs." He told her to take a right and held on as she whipped around the corner.

"Hot damn, girl you can drive!" Christopher whooped. "You coulda given our old man a run for his money!"

"Straight down, keep driving." Andrew urged. "Make a left."

"My truck." Christopher said, pointing.

Olivia pulled up behind the truck in front of the house, a two story white home with a rough iron front porch. "You grew up here?"

"They've renovated." Andrew remarked wryly. "Used to be a pretty house."

Olivia hopped out and went up the front path, past the for sale sign. "Elliot?" She went up the front path, where empty patches used to boast a garden. The front door was ajar, she let herself in. "El?"

She made her way upstairs and saw an open door. "El." She pushed it open.

Elliot sat against the closet door holding the photograph he'd taken from his mother's house in his hands. "Liv."

Olivia sat down next to him. "I'm not going to ask if you're okay because I know you're not."

Elliot looked away from her, pursing his lips to keep from crying. "No, I can't say I am."

Olivia took his hand. "You've been suppressing this for forty years. It was bound to fuck you up when you remembered."

Elliot covered his face. "I wish I had never remembered."

"Now you can get help for yourself." Olivia said gently.

"The only help I'll get is putting the son of a bitch away." Elliot stated. "How did you find me?"

"Your brothers." Olivia answered.

"I borrowed Christopher's truck." Elliot said. He took the key out of his coat. "I can't face them right now."

"I'll get rid of them." Olivia promised. "Just wait here." She took the keys and went downstairs. "He's alright. He's upstairs. Here's the key to your truck."

"Is he coming?" Christopher asked.

"He needs a few minutes, so I'll sit and wait for him." Olivia said. "Thanks for everything, you guys have been a huge help."

"Call us if you need anything." Andrew said. He nudged Christopher. "Give me a ride back."

Olivia went back upstairs. "How ya doing?"

Elliot motioned around the room. "This was my childhood bedroom."

Olivia looked around. "I can't see it."

"It used to look different. We had this wallpaper with trains or planes or something." Elliot said, "dark red carpet." He ran his hand over the polished wood flooring. "Three of us together. My sisters across the hall, mom and dad at the end of the hall. It was cramped but it was cozy enough."

Olivia took his hand. "Tell me what you remember."

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "I remember...the first time it happened. I came home and laid down on my bed. It hurt so bad. I was crying. My dad heard. He came in. I don't think I told him. He didn't care anyway. He was waiting for me. My report card had just come. I had a D in something. At least I could hide the pain behind the beating. After that I just kept it secret. I guess my brothers just knew."

"I remember going to school after a particularly bad beating by my mom," Olivia said quietly, "I 'tripped' down a flight of stairs so I could excuse the bruises. I did that a lot. I'd 'fall' off the playground equipment, I'd walk into a locker, anything to make people look the other way. Hell, I used to start fights."

Elliot laughed quietly and smiled at her. "We are one hell of a pair. Two broken people."

"Maybe...", Olivia said softly, "we're not broken, we just two parts of a much bigger picture."

Elliot leaned his head back against the wall and stared at her incredulously. "Are you high right now?"

"Maybe we both just needed someone to help smooth the edges." Olivia insisted.

"Liv, you should have been a shrink." Elliot remarked. He kissed her knuckles. "You're still my best friend." He stood up. "Come on, let's go sink this motherfucker."

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Elliot gave a start as the doorbell rang through the empty house. Grabbing his off-duty he made his way to the door. He tucked the 9mm in the waistband of his pants and opened the door.

"Delivery for Stabler." The messenger greeted.

"It's _Stabler_." Elliot corrected. He sighed for the package. "Thanks." He shut the door and sat down on the couch. He opened the box and a pile of photographs fell out. He picked one up.

A baby girl with big brown eyes wearing a frilly white dress and a matching bonnet sitting on a white lace pillow smiling widely, her fat fists clutched in front of her. Another of the same baby but much younger, newborn, laying on a pink blanket on a bed, her disorientated eyes staring at the camera.

He looked through the rest, various shots of that same little girl until the last one. Olivia, age five, on her first day of school, in a blue dress and a big smile, giving a thumbs up.

"Docket ending: 5607: The People vs Michael Gordon Goranson. Four counts sexual abuse of a minor. Four counts murder in the first degree. One count obstruction. One count resisting arrest."

"Casey Novak for the People, your honor." ADA Casey Novak said.

"Lionel Granger for the defense, your honor," Lionel Granger said. "I have a motion to dismiss."

"Suppress what, your client admitted to the charges, gave a full and free confession." Casey scoffed.

"My client is a victim of abuse himself and was not in a healthy state of mind owing to his own abuse." Granger explained, "furthermore, he was duped into confession by having his faith flouted before him."

"Excuse me?" Casey questioned.

"Your detective Stabler prayed with my client and told him he would be forgiven if he 'confessed his sins'." Granger said. "He was under the impression that he would be safe from persecution."

Casey stared at him in disbelief. "Your Honor, the defendant had been properly Mirandized and informed as to the reason for his arrest. He confessed to the listed crimes knowingly. Detective Stabler never promised he'd be free from legal repercussion, just that he would be forgiven by God."

"Which he couldn't have known, in his state of mind." Granger stated.

"That's enough." Judge Elizabeth Donnelly said quickly. "I'm not allowing the abuser and murderer of four young boys to get away with his crimes."

"Then I have a motion to suppress his confession as it was brought under coercion." Granger said.

"Nice try, Mr. Granger." Judge Donnelly said with a sly smile. "But no dice. How does your client plead?"

"Not guilty due to mental disease or defect." Granger answered. "My client is a young, confused man who was abused by someone in a position of power who was never punished for his crimes. He never had a chance."

"So every rape victim is going to rape someone themselves?" Casey questioned incredulously. "Every single victim that my SVU detectives have gotten justice for over the years is now going to go out and rape someone because it happened to them?"

"I'm not saying that." Granger said. "My client has been conditioned from an early age that this type of behavior is normal and therefore lacks the ability to understand the consequences of his actions."

"He killed four boys in effort to hide his crimes." Casey stated.

"In his mind he wasn't concealing his crimes, he was atoning." Granger said.

Judge Donnelly held up a hand. "People, not the time or place. I'll allow the plea and the reason. Better be prepared to back it up in court, Mr. Granger."

"Please." Father Michael squeaked, looking and sounding like a child now that he wasn't wearing his clerics clothing. "Please, I didn't mean to do it. Please."

"Young man, you'll have your say at trial." Judge Donnelly said sternly. "Bail, Ms. Novak?"

"Remand, your honor." Casey said. "Give the heinous nature of the crimes and the fact that the defendant has tried to abscond from police before he is a serious flight risk."

"Your honor, my client is a scared young man with nowhere to run and he wouldn't have any idea how to hide himself and survive if he did." Mr. Granger insisted.

"I'll meet you halfway, Ms. Novak." Judge Donnelly said. "Bail is set at $250,000. Next case."

"Diocese of New York covered Father Michael's bail." Elliot said. "He's holed up in their mission on E 102nd."

"What about the bishop?" Olivia asked.

"Dutchess County picked him up this morning, we get him tomorrow." Elliot said. "Here's hoping his old ass doesn't croak before trial." He opened his desk. "Oh, I have something for you." He rolled around in his chair holding a leather envelope-style photo frame. "I was looking through those pictures you sent me and something caught my eye so I got out one of the albums I had at the house. Check this out." He opened the first side.

Six year old Elliot at the beach in black and white, grinning proudly, fists clenched and showing off his muscles. He opened the other side. One year old Olivia sitting on the sand in a little bathing suit and a sun bonnet grinning widely, showing off her baby teeth,.

"That's cute." Olivia remarked.

"Take a closer look." Elliot said. He tapped the background of the photo of himself. "See that mother taking a photo of her baby?" He moved back to the photo of Olivia. "How about that little boy posing for his mother in the background behind you?"

Olivia gasped in delight. "We were on the beach at the same time and the same day?"

"Yep." Elliot said happily. "I guess you were right, we were always supposed to meet. Who knows, maybe I threw sand at you that day. Maybe you crawled across the sand and stole my shovel. Maybe our moms said hello, maybe my dad hit on your mom."

Olivia laughed. "Anything's possible in a New York minute."

Fin and Munch came in dragging Joey Markus, a low-life pimp who was always getting a DV pop for beating his wife.

"Shut yo punk ass up." Fin spat. "You know you ain't nothing but a piece of shit player anyway."

They dragged him to the cage. Joey lifted himself off the ground and kicked his foot through the glass doorway beside the cage, shattering glass all over the floor.

"Man, punk." Fin snapped.

"Careful." Olivia warned. "Someone get a trashcan and throw some wet paper towels in it."

She and Elliot got down and started picking up the big pieces, shredding their fingers and hands in the process.

"Look at my hands," Elliot intoned in a fake Southern accent, "mother always said you can tell a lady by her hands."

Olivia snorted. "I'll get the first aid kit. Meet me in the break room."

They got cleaned up and doctored each other up.

"They'll heal." Elliot remarked. "Gonna itch like a bitch in a couple days."

"At least it wasn't a person who got Markused in the face." Olivia said.

"Wanna get out of here and get a drink?" Elliot offered. "We can lament our wounds over a pint."

"I'm game." Olivia said. "Let me turn in my Five real quick."

"Wait, wait, where was I when this was happening, was I part of the unit yet?" Olivia laughed.

"Nah, this was a little before your time." Elliot said. "Fat Sal, God he was a great guy. I was with Pete Breslin then. God we were green."

Olivia grinned. "Why did all the fun stuff happen before my time?"

"Are you kidding, the fun was just getting started." Elliot remarked. "Sometimes I wonder how most of the shit that happens to our unit happens. Seems almost...impossible or unlikely."

"Eh, this is New York, anything is possible." Olivia remarked, draining her beer. "Like a baby and a six year old playing on the same beach in Queens and then thirty years later they're partners."

"Reminds me of the Chinese couple." Elliot said. "They get engaged and they're looking at childhood albums and they come across a photo of the fiancé and his girlfriend is in the background in a stroller looking right at him. They came all the way from China to Florida and they ended up meeting twenty years later and getting together."

"There are no coincidences, only happy accidents." Olivia remarked. She started swaying. "I love this song."

Elliot rose and held out his hand. "Come on, dance."

Olivia turned red and covered her face. "I can't dance."

"Sure you can. I can't either." Elliot insisted. "We might actually look better together." He took her hands and led her out.

Olivia exhaled bashfully and looked away, clasping her hands around the back of his neck. "I promise you I can't dance."

Elliot put his hands on her waist and shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me." He smiled uncomfortably. "Didn't peg you for an ABBA fan."

Olivia grinned sneakily. "I am a woman of many secrets."

"I always knew it." Elliot agreed, spinning her out and pulling her back against his. He pressed a hand into the small of her back. "_...play me time and time again, and make strong,"_

"_Make me sing, make me sound," _Olivia joined in quietly, "_andante, andante, tread lightly on my ground. Andante, andante, oh please don't let me down,_" She rest her head against his chest. "_Andante, andante_, _Oh please don't let me down._"

"Your honor, the people have been ready to proceed for an hour." Casey complained.

"Where is your client, Mr. Granger?" Judge Lena Petrovsky questioned.

"Your Honor, I've been trying to reach him and he isn't answering." Lionel Granger said. "He assured me he would be here."

"And you assured the court he'd be here, I'm not afraid to slap you both with a contempt citation, Mr. Granger." Judge Petrovsky warned.

Elliot nudged Olivia and nodded towards the door. They rose and hurried out of the courtroom.

"Think he ran?" Elliot asked as they bound down the courthouse stairs.

"How?" Olivia questioned. "And where would he go?"

"He's got the Catholic Church bankrolling him, you'd be surprised at some of the shady shit they get away with." Elliot remarked.

"And you choose to be a part of it?" Olivia asked.

"I believe in all the best of it." Elliot defended. "The Catholic Church isn't the only church with scandal. But, unlike Protestant religions, the church encourages study and facts. That's why historical scholars a lot of the time we're Catholic. They ha the resources and the urgency to learn everything they could so they could better serve the faith and their faithfuls."

"Let's not ignore the fact that they also tried to squash any religion that wasn't Catholic." Olivia insisted. "Wanna talk about Isabella and Ferdinand and their Moorish crusades? God forbid you believe in something else."

"That's how it was back then." Elliot stated. "Doesn't excuse it, but it's an explanation."

"Father Michael was abused as a child," Olivia said, "I don't consider that an excuse _or _an explanation."

They got in the car and sped uptown, lights and sirens, to the mission.

"If he's here and he's fine I swear to God he's leaving through the window." Elliot thundered as they ran upstairs.

"Don't do anything rash." Olivia remarked.

Elliot kicked the door to the priest's billet open. "Jesus Christ, call a bus."

The young priest was draped against the tub, blood gushing from his left wrist.

"Manhattan SVU portable to central, rush a bus to 200 E 102nd street, Catholic Mission of Manhattan." Olivia said into her radio.

Elliot grabbed the wrist each to stymie the blood flow.

"Stay with us, Michael, stay with us." Elliot urged.

"He's bleeding too hard." Olivia said anxiously.

"He practically chopped his hand off." Elliot remarked frantically. "Jesus Christ. Hey, Michael, Michael stay with us."

"The ambulance is almost here." Olivia said. "Just stay with us."

The young priest gargled loudly and slumped down, the blood slowing to a trickle. The two detectives stared at each other in alarm.

"Start CPR." Olivia directed. She pinched the priest's nose and started breathing into his mouth as Elliot did compressions.

"You two are gonna speak to Huang at some point today." Cragen ordered gently. "You held him and watched as he died. You're getting your heads shrunk. Separately."

Elliot sighed and Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Cap, it's a waste of time." Elliot insisted. "We're fine."

"Nevertheless." Cragen said. "Call Huang."

Fin knocked and poked his head in. "Hey, Liv, El, Warner just called, she wants you two to come down."

"We'll call Huang when we get back." Elliot said.

He and Olivia drove across town to the OCME.

"What have you got for us, Melinda?" Elliot greeted.

"Come sit." Melinda urged. "I have to tell you guys something." They went into her office. "What happened to your hands?"

"Perp smashed a window in the squad-room, we got cut up cleaning it up." Elliot answered.

"When did it happen?" Melinda asked.

"Yesterday evening." Elliot answered.

"Oh, God." Melinda muttered softly. "Elliot, Michael was HIV/AIDs positive. His viral load was incredibly high."

Elliot felt his blood run cold. "AIDs?"

Olivia stared at the floor in alarm. She turned to Elliot. "El..."

"Why is it always me?" Elliot muttered. "Every single time. Why is it always me?"

"I'll take some blood and test you if you want." Melinda said. "It'll take about three or four days to get the results back."

Elliot sighed and took off his blazer, rolling his sleeve up. "Tell me when to say ow."

"I heard you the first time!" Olivia called as she came out of the bedroom. "I'm coming now!" She ruffled her wet hair with her towel and tossed it on the floor. "Who the hell is it?" She pulled the door open. "Elliot."

Elliot greeted her with a grimace that was meant to be a smile and held up a bottle of tequila. "Wanna get drunk?"

Olivia smiled and stepped aside. "Welcome, friend."

Elliot went into the kitchen and rummaged around. "How old is this Thai?"

"Uh, two days." Olivia answered.

Elliot dumped the contents of the containers in a bowl and put it in the microwave. "And this prosciutto?"

"A week." Olivia answered.

"Still good." Elliot remarked. He grabbed the hunk of mozzarella next to it and found some crackers in the cabinet. "So we don't get drunk too fast."

Olivia followed him to the couch. "Are you okay?"

"I'm freaking out." Elliot admitted. He opened the bottle and poured a shot. "I'm freaking out." He knocked it back. "You gonna drink?"

Olivia took a shot, "talk to me."

"What if I have AIDs, Liv?" Elliot questioned. "I got lucky last time. What if I'm not so lucky this time?"

"You just have to have faith." Olivia urged. "Your cuts should have scabbed over, they weren't deep. You're gonna be fine."

Elliot bent over his clasped hands. "What if I'm not." He closed his eyes and sighed. "What if I'm positive? What then? I'm curses for the rest of my life. I'll be sick forever."

"Medications work really well-" Olivia began.

"It's not enough!" Elliot exclaimed. He shot up and started pacing. "My marriage is over, and now what, if I'm positive I can never move on. Who would want someone who's sick? Who could infect them? Could kill them? No one cares for someone that much. No one loves someone that much." He paced furiously through the room.

"I could." Olivia said softly.

Elliot paused and glanced at her. "What?" He came and knelt before her. "What did you say?"

"I could...", Olivia murmured shyly, "love you even like that."

They stared into each others eyes.

"I don't understand." Elliot whispered.

"I don't care if you're sick." Olivia said firmly. "I don't care if your test results come back positive. I don't care about any of it. I don't. After everything we've been through together, and seen together, all the fighting and being apart, the silences and the shouting, I don't care! I don't care about anything but you, and me, and us, and, and, and..."

Elliot silenced her with a kiss.

Olivia wrapped her arms around him and they fell to the floor. Elliot trapped her willingly inside of his embrace and hooked a leg over her back.

Elliot pulled back and gazed at her. "What are we doing?" He asked softly. He pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek. "What are we doing?"

"Whatever we want." Olivia breathed. She rose and held out her hand. "Come with me."

Elliot took her hand and let her lead him to her bedroom.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

"Thank God you two got here." Cragen greeted through the noise of the crowd in the squad room. "Take a kid and grab a room. We have to get statements."

"What's happening?" Olivia asked in alarm.

"Dutchess County ran Bishop Thomas's picture this morning, they've all come forward with allegations." Cragen said as he went back to his office.

"I'll see you later on, I guess." Olivia said.

Elliot touched her hand briefly and went to start an interview. "See ya."

It took three days to interview every one of them.

Olivia sank into her desk chair with a heavy sigh. "Tell me, do I look as bad as I feel?"

Elliot, chin in hand, stared off into space.

"El?" Olivia questioned.

Elliot blinked and shook his head. "Huh?"

"Never mind." Olivia said with a smile. "I'm beat."

"Like a Victorian housewife's rug." Elliot agreed.

"There isn't anything we can do tonight, wanna head out, get some dinner or something?" Olivia suggested.

"Best offer I've had all day." Elliot agreed. "Let's go. There's a diner up the street still open, makes amazing French Toast."

"You guys alright?" Olivia asked.

"I'm gonna be stuck here all night." Fin complained.

"Call if you need anything." Olivia said.

They went to the locker room. Elliot grabbed her and gave her a long kiss. Olivia grabbed the front of his blazer and let herself melt.

"I've missed you." Elliot admitted.

"Been here the whole time." Olivia murmured.

"Everything happened so fast, we haven't had time to talk." Elliot said.

"About what?" Olivia inquired.

"I just want you to know, I'm all in." Elliot said. "Whatever this is, I'm all in."

Olivia smiled softly. "Good. Because I don't risk my entire health and well-being for just anyone."

"Yeah, ya do." Elliot chuckled. "But at least we both know I'm special." He kissed her again, briefly. "I need food."

"No Monte Cristo?" Olivia teased.

"Maybe, maybe." Elliot remarked.

"So, good news and bad news," Cragen announced, "we've gone through the extensive list of victim and witness statements over the last few days. Fortunately it looks like it's coming to standstill so we can take a breath."

"What's the good news?" Fin questioned.

"The good news, there's enough evidence to convict Thomas Geary enough times that he won't see the light of day ever again." Cragen began. He sighed. "Unfortunately, out of the two hundred and fifty that came forward, only seventy-three of them are within the statute of limitations. However, we still have enough to cap him." He cleared his throat. "TARU dumped his personal computer and found kiddy porn. We've got him, we've got him for good."

Olivia nudged Elliot gently and smiled encouragingly. "It's something."

"It's worth it." Elliot said with quiet firmness.

"Docket ending 3454: The People of New York vs Thomas O'shea Geary. Seventy-five counts of child rape, three thousand counts of child pornography and paraphernalia, two hundred and fifty counts of obstructing justice, sixty-three counts of fraud."

"Casey Novak for the People, your honor." Casey said.

"Trevor Langon for the Defense." Trevor Langon said.

"How does your client plead to these numerous charges?" Judge Preston questioned.

"Not guilty, your honor." Langon answered.

"People on bail?" Preston questioned.

"Remand, your honor, given the serious and overwhelming number of charges and the history the defendant has with being absconded by the Catholic Church, which itself possess a great deal of wealth and the culpability to hide a priest." Casey answered.

"So ordered." Judge Preston said. She tapped her gavel on the block and called the next case.

Elliot and Olivia stepped up the wooden partition between the spectator seating and the docket area. "Good job."

"I'm beginning to think there's an even bigger enemy here." Casey remarked. "The Catholic Church and all her Glory."

"You can't be thinking about taking on the Catholic Church." Elliot remarked.

"I can't, and even if I could I wouldn't." Casey said. "It would be almost impossible to win. I can, however, urge the victims to sue the Church in civil court. Get some pain and suffering out of it." She lowered her voice. "You could get a little monetary justice, Elliot."

Elliot glanced at Olivia. "I'm not sure if it would be worth it anymore."

"Well, I'm still going to suggest it." Casey remarked. "I'll have to talk to your brothers."

"Can we leave my family out of it?" Elliot questioned. "I'm only just coming to terms with everything. I haven't told my kids, or my ex-wife. I probably won't ever."

"Why not?" Casey questioned in consternation.

"Because...," Elliot said. He trailed off with a sigh. "Because I'm the victim here, okay? And it's my choice."

Olivia smiled softly, proudly. "But that doesn't mean the other victims shouldn't see justice. So just leave Elliot out of it."

"His brothers deserve justice." Casey insisted.

"My brothers deserve the right to move on with their lives." Elliot stated. "I'm moving on with mine." He took Olivia's hand. "Good job today, Casey."

They walked out together.

"I was thinking maybe we could rent a movie, order Chinese, stay in." Elliot said quietly as they made their way into the squad room.

"I like that idea." Olivia agreed. "Melinda."

Dr. Warner stopped before them. "Elliot, I was just coming to see you." She dropped her voice. "I have your test results."

They stepped into an empty interrogation room.

"You're negative." Melinda announced. "Now, you know the drill, you're gonna need to take the anti-retrovirals and get retested in three months, but everything looks fine." She smiled. "You can breathe now."

Elliot exhaled slowly and turned and gave Olivia a crushing hug. "Couldn't have done this without you. Couldn't have gotten through this alone."

Olivia smiled into his shoulder. "Like I always say, that's what I'm here for."

Melinda smiled affirmatively. "Oh, I've got the other results you asked for, Elliot." She handed him a folder. "See you guys later." She left them alone.

"What results." Olivia asked.

Elliot pursed his lips guiltily. "I did something and I'm not sure if you'll be okay with it."

"What?" Olivia asked.

"Remember when your toothbrush went missing and you had to replace it?" Elliot questioned.

Olivia nodded.

"I took it." Elliot said. "I have Melinda run it through another kinship analysis. This one's a little more sophisticated than the one you used when you found Simon. Any matches that were found I asked her to get as close to the source as possible. She said she had a few results but they weren't ready yet." He handed her the folder. "They're ready."

Olivia took the folder and stared at it. "I can't believe you did this."

"You don't have to read it." Elliot said. "But now you have the option of knowing who's out there."

"Thanks." Olivia said. "I'll think about it." She touched his hand and left him alone in the room.

_"...news today from the Catholic Church. A massive payout has been ordered to the victims of convicted former bishop Thomas Geary, the priest who, two months ago, was convicted of multiple counts of child rape. In a landmark decision, Judge Robert Halloway has ordered the Catholic Church to pay out $25,000,000 in civil damages to the victims, both within and out of the statute of limitations. A group which includes three current and/or former members of Congress, a major newspaper editor, and a decorated NYPD detective, instrumental in the solving of this decades long case..."_

"So it's over." Olivia said, turning off the TV.

"Thought this thing would never end." Fin agreed. "Have you spoken to Elliot today?"

"No, he's off on his new _boat_." Olivia answered with a bemused smile. "He took Eli and Dickie fishing."

"Good day for it," Munch remarked, "88 degrees and sunny. Weatherman's predicting clear weather for the rest of the week."

"And you believe him? I thought everything was a big conspiracy." Fin teased.

Olivia laughed and picked up her desk line. "Special Victims Unit, Detective Benson." Her mouth gaped slightly and she turned her back. "Yeah, yeah, thanks for getting back to me. No, I understand, no, thanks for calling. Have a nice day." She hung up.

"Who was that?" Fin asked.

"Uh, personal." Olivia said. She checked her cellphone. "Elliot and the kids should be back by now and we have plans to get dinner. I'll see you guys later." She went to the locker room and grabbed her purse, making her way downtown to the little Italian place they loved.

"Maureen, you're so grown up." She greeted.

"It's so nice to see you, Liv." Maureen Stabler greeted, giving her a tight hug. "Oops, I know, it's hard to reach me these days." She rubbed her swollen belly tenderly. "I'm gonna make this kid pay for the trouble when she's born."

"A girl." Olivia said with a smile. "That's great. But I can't help but wonder just how bad Elliot is going to be with a granddaughter when I think about how over-protective he was of you two."

"Was?" Kathleen Stabler greeted with a scoff. "Try is." She gave Olivia a hug. "Hey, Liv."

"How are things?" Olivia asked.

"Good. I just started dating this guy, an actor, and a waiter," Kathleen answered. They all laughed. "Things are good."

Eli Stabler, still dressed in his fishing clothes, pounded down the sidewalk and wrapped himself around Olivia's legs. "Aunt Liv, I caught a fish!"

"You did?" Olivia questioned eagerly. "Where is it?"

"He was so big we couldn't fit him in the boat!" Eli exclaimed in delight. He threw his arms open. "This big!"

"Wow," Olivia laughed, "that's the biggest fish I've ever seen. I bet you worked up an appetite, how about some pizza?"

"I love pizza." Eli said.

"How about we have them put some anchovies on it." Maureen joked. "Little salty fishies." They made fish faces at each other, to the delight of the six year old boy.

"Hey, Liv." Dickie Stabler greeted. He gave her a one armed hug. "Good to see you."

"You too. How was the fishing?" Olivia asked.

"It was decent. Calm waters." Dickie answered. "Made the fish lazy."

"Except for the, uh, massive one Eli caught." Olivia reminded with a smile.

"Oh yeah, the monster." Dickie agreed with a laugh.

"Where's dad?" Maureen questioned.

"Parking." Dickie answered. He checked his cellphone. "Lizzie says hi and she wishes she could be here but she has finals."

"How come you don't have finals?" Elliot questioned. He gave him a playful nudge. "Hey, Liv." He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Don't all colleges have finals about now?"

"How about we all go get some pizza?" Olivia interjected positively, leading them inside. "El, you're all burned up, didn't you wear your sun block?"

"Absolutely, thanks Kathy. See you tomorrow." Elliot hung the phone up and slid in bed. "Kathy's boyfriend fell and fucked his arm up so they're coming home early. Kathy was asking if they could steal Eli a day early."

Olivia closed her book and put it on the nightstand. "I have to tell you something."

Elliot gave her his attention. "What?"

"It's not that serious." Olivia laughed. She looked at her hands resting on the duvet. "I opened that folder, the one from Melinda, the one with my kinship analysis."

"Yeah?" Elliot questioned.

"Um, it turns out Joseph Hollister, my biological father," Olivia began, "well, it turns out he had a few more victims. And, um, a couple of those victims had his children."

Elliot cocked his head. "You have more siblings."

"I have a sister in Vermont, and another brother in Pennsylvania." Olivia answered. "I sent them both letters. The brother never answered, and the sister called today. Said she was grateful I had contacted her but she wasn't interested in forming a relationship. I'm okay with that. I think just knowing is better than wondering."

"And you're okay?" Elliot questioned. "Like, really okay?"

Olivia smiled. "Blood doesn't make a family, El. The love people feel for each other, that's what makes a family. And we have plenty of that. I'm good with what I have."

Elliot smiled. "Your eccentric brothers, and your surrogate father down at the squad."

"And my sisters in the DAs office, and the OCME's office." Olivia added with a smile. She took his hand. "You. My wonderful you."

Elliot grinned and shrugged. "What is it you always say, 'that's what I'm here for?'." He gave her a kiss. "Well, I'm glad it all worked out for you."

Olivia slid down in bed and crossed her arms over her chest. "And so everything is well and truly done."

"Looks like it." Elliot agreed.

Their pagers started going off.

"But it's never _really_ done." Olivia remarked.

"Come on," Elliot urged, "got some more stories to tell."

**The End**


End file.
